Our Trip to Gear Heaven

Twice a year, Salt Lake City becomes ground zero for the movers and shakers of the outdoor industry as well as the fiends and swag-hunters that inhabit the country’s highest echelons of gear geekdom. It’s where the massive trade show called Outdoor Retailer goes down. If it were a marathon, it’d be New York or maybe even Boston. (Photo below right courtesy of Gary Newkirk for Outdoor Retailer.)

Every company from Asics to The North Face is there to woo specialty retailers, ad reps, buyers, and the media. Naturally, I was there, along with Runner's World’s Warren Green and Sean Downey, both of whom have Ph.D.s in Geek.

After a taking a little breather this past week to recover from 18-hour days of meetings, midsole demonstrations, interviews, poly/wool blend talks, and expense-account dinners, I’ve compiled a quick trade show summary divided into a few categories. Consider it a road map for the cool gear that’s in store for spring and fall ’09.

Most Exciting Running Shoe That Warren Can’t Wait to Get Into the Lab

“I think the guys at END Footwear do a great job. We’ll be reviewing some of their road shoes (the women’s PBnJ and the men’s OTG) for the June Shoe Guide. The shoes are on the way to us now. END builds smart basic shoes and lead the way as far as making the greenest true running shoes I’ve seen. We’re currently testing their Stumptown 12 oz. for the April Trail Shoe Guide. I wasn’t sure what to expect, given how new the company is, but it’s doing well.”

Coolest New Thing We Saw

Sean: "I saw some super-bright Day-Glo apparel from Saucony that it created to go up against Brooks' Nightlife stuff. New Balance is adding X-Static, a fabric with silver woven through it that fights stench, to a bunch of its stuff as well as emergency ID tags sewn into all the pockets."

Warren: "The Saucony Razor looks like a really cool shoe. Built on the same platform as the Xodus, which won our Editor's Choice award in our October 2008 Trail Shoe Guide, the Razor has a waterproof-breathable eVent gator. It’s a very niche shoe, but cool."

Me: Well, other than the barely there undies the ExOfficio models were walking around in, I’d have to say that GoLite is stepping it up with some potentially cool base layers. They’re using a new fabric from Cocona, called Minerale, that uses “naturally technology derived from minerals.” I don’t know what kind of tech exists in minerals, and neither did anyone I asked, but they say that it will wick and dry faster than any polyester.

The General Mood of the Running Companies We Met With as They Prepare for '09

Warren: "Most companies are keeping with what worked in their lines. I didn’t see a lot of big innovations; rather, steady, smart updates of existing products."

Me: I’d say a reserved optimism. Times will be tough, and most manufacturers are worried like the rest of us. But they also know that runners tend to be a pretty reliable market. Plus, people can cut their own budget by nixing a gym membership and then go run down the street or trail for free.

Weirdest Thing We Saw (or Did)

Warren: "I bought a hat and mittens for my daughter Sarah from a company called Outside Baby in Hood River, Oregon. They were sending the money they raised at the show to a children’s hospital in South America. After a couple of Salt Lake Airport T-shirts, I thought it was time for her to get something useful, and this was for a good cause. I’ve never bought anything at the dozen or so OR’s I’ve been to, so it was a first."

Me: Summer Outdoor Retailer is usually a little more fun and wacky. There’s a 5-K trail run called the Wasatch Wobble that I usually do, wearing the leopard print bath robe from our hotel. But, this time it was all work, wall-to-wall. I didn’t even get outside—or buy any T-shirts. Warren, you so crazy!